Improvement in clamps for bridges



UNITED STATES PATENT OErieE.

NEWTON GHAPIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CLAMPS FOR BRIDGES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 44,397, dated September 27, 1864; antedated J une/28, 1864.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NEWTON CHAPIN, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Iron Clamps for Bridges and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the same, ret'- erence being had to the accompanying drawings and letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure l represents a section of a chord of a bridge, showing the application of my irnproved clamp. Fig. 2 represents a side elevation ot' the clamp. Fig. 3 represents a vertical sectional view ot one end of the clamp.

The nature of my invention consists in casting the clamp hollow and with partitions between its walls to brace it and make it strong, thereby making a light, and at the same time a strong, casting.V

To enable those skilled in the art to manufacture and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the same with particularity.

The same letters of reference refer to the corresponding parts in the different figures.

A represents the timbers, which are put together to form a chord of abridge.

B represents the iron clamp which I put between said timbers to tie them together and keep them in place. It is used where there is a joint caused by splicing any ofthe timbers ofthe chord. One end ofthe clamp B is sunk into one of the timbers, and the other end is sunk into the other timber. The ends of the two said timbers are then brought together, and thejoint is made tight and solid by means ot'the rod C The rod C has threadsvcut on each end, and is screwed into the clamp-heads B B, as shown in Fig. 2, the threads being cnt so as to form a right and left screw. The

. clamp-heads B are drawn together by turning the rod C, and thejoint thereby tightened and held perfectly tirm.

It is shown by the drawings that the clampheads B are sunk into the timbers upon only one side-that is, only into the timbers that are spliced.

a .t are ears or supports which rest on the edge ofthe timbers or in little notches cut in the corners ot' the timbers, and serve to support said clamps and keep them from working do n between the timbers.

E E are the partitions that are. cast inside of the clamp-heads B, and they come together at F and form a solid part, into which the rod C is screwed. vThe partitions E are cast obliquely across the interior ofthe clamp-head, as shown in Fig. 3, because it gives them a bracing position and makes the clamp-heads stron ger; but 1 do not limit myself to making them in that particular position.

D D are holes through the side ofthe clampheads, which serve for two purposes. One is to take the core through from the chambers in the casting, and the other is to admit of iion rods being passed through the timbers laterally, and through the clamp heads at'ter they are screwed up, so as to make thejoint tight, in order to bind the chord more lirlnly together. The hole d is simply for removing the core from the casting.

Instead ofthe ears or supports x beingcast on the clamp-heads B, as shown, the clamphead itself might be cast widest at the top, giving it a slight wedge shape, :which would serve to keep it from working down between the timbers and render the supports unnecessary.

Instead ot' adjusting the clamp-heads by means of the rod screwed into the same, as herein described, the same may be ett'ected by means of nuts or heads upon the ends of the rod, or in any other suitable manner.

Having described my invention, l will now proceed to specify whatI claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent.

I claim- The combination of the hollow clamp-heads NEWTON CHAPIN.

Witnesses:

F. E. WALKER, W. E. Manns, 

